Bangabandhu Satellite-1: Another dream realised, another promise kept

Bangabandhu Satellite-1, the first geostationary communications satellite of Bangladesh, will be launched from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

The highly anticipated debut of SpaceX's new Falcon 9 "Block 5" rocket has been delayed by at least a day.

The fun doesn't end with takeoff.

Altogether, Musk's in-depth discussion of Falcon 9 Block 5 paints the rocket as a near-complete redesign - if it flies successfully, Block 5 will essentially become the rocket SpaceX set out to build at the turn of the millennium.

But Block 5 - the souped-up SpaceX rocket carrying the satellite - may be the real headliner.

SpaceX hasn't released official specifications for its Block 5 rockets yet, but it has shared some information about improvements to this generation's reusability and reliability.

If the launch goes as planned, it will be a promising sign for SpaceX's wider plan of conducting manned missions with rockets that can be reused up to 100 times in a single lifespan. It will ultimately replace all other SpaceX rockets, as it will be relatively cheap to launch and reuse - at least in theory. It has more powerful engines and better heat shielding at the base of the rocket. At the time of this update, the rescheduled time for liftoff was aimed at 5:47 PM Eastern Time (that's 21:47 GMT).

The launch process has two phases - the first is the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) and the second phase is Satellite in Orbit. SpaceX will have its drone ship, called "Of Course I Still Love You", stationed in the Atlantic Ocean to catch it. For comparison, older Block 4 versions flew a maximum of two missions before retirement.

The launch was halted after a last-minute automatic abort, Spaceflight Now reported. The satellite will provide direct-to-home services and video distribution, along with other small aperture terminal communications.

Despite the Block 5 being the final version of the rocket, Musk noted that further modifications could add reusability to the upper stage and nosecone, called a fairing.

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